Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Back from beyond


It's amazing how much can happen in such a short amount of time. On the other side of the Atlantic, soccer teams are fixed on becoming World Cup Champions. Over here, I'm fixed on keeping my life together. As part of that project I packed up the two kids and headed down the highway to my sister's in Toronto. My boys got to play with their three cousins. They all laughed and had fun - birthday party for Abigail who's four now, trips to the park, fun in the front yard waiting for the ice cream truck. The stuff of everyday life with children. Right now this is particularly precious.

This is Liam playing with Patrick, his senior by 6 weeks. It was a full time job for one of us three adults to manage these two as they practiced climbing the stairs, climbing the furniture, climbing on the trikes, wagons and cars outside! Much fun.

After Toronto came North Bay and my Mom and Dad, otherwise know as Nana and Popa. Eamon liked going to the lake to feed sand and stones and sticks to the water.
I snuck away to the cottage BY MYSELF - yes that's right, no kids, no phone. Only a teeny tiny television for game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was what I needed. I never thought time would carry a different weight when I became a parent. Two and a half days alone was luxurious and so very necessary. I had the time and the space to read, pray, cry, write and center myself.
Yes, I knit too. But not my world cup project, oh no. What was in my knitting bag?

Everything BUT the pattern. SO I cast on a baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting and kept on knitting.
We need this time to ourselves so deperately as moms, especially moms of very young kids. WHy is it so hard to claim it for ourselves? And so hard to negotiate. I'll leave you with a few shots of the beauty of my family cottage. There's nowhere else I feel as at home as here in this simple place.


Saturday, June 17, 2006

On Vacation

I'm in Ontario and mostly away from a computer - a world cup of knitting/ life update to come soon...

Monday, June 05, 2006

Knitting World Cup

I've signed up for the knitting world cup. My project will be the too cute halter top for baby girl from the spring Knitty. Why is this one a challenge? Because I've just learned to knit left-handed or continental and this will be my first real project i'll knit with this method. I think I'll also knit it in the round and avoid the purl as much as I can.

(an update - with pictures).
Since I can't cast on until kick off I made two swatches. I'm trying to decide between denim and oatmeal coloured cotton.

The fun came next when Eamon learned about blocking! We gave the swatches a bath in Eucalan. Then he rolled them in a towel to dry. Next step: put on your bicycle helmet, grab your paint brushes and magnefying glass and blocking board. Hunh?

Why do you need those, Eamon?
Because I'm a paleontologist.
And a knitter?
Right.